Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has stated that all-rounder Shadab Khan could make a return to the national team ahead of the T20 World Cup next year.
Shadab Khan, who was in line to lead the Men in Green, last played in June during the T20I series against Bangladesh before an injury forced him out.
Since then, Pakistan has relied on Mohammad Nawaz as their main all-rounder. Apart from Nawaz, Saim Ayub has emerged as a key spin option, while Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq have proved their worth as specialist spinners.
Salman said Shadab could return when Pakistan tours Sri Lanka in February, ahead of the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India.
“He was the team’s vice-captain when he got injured, unfortunately,” Salman said. “And when you have a player available who has played so many World Cups, who has experience, who can bat at number 5-6 and give you a spin option. If we feel he fits, then of course, why not?”
Pakistan’s growing spin depth has been crucial to their white-ball success. With Saim providing breakthroughs in the powerplay and Abrar and Usman offering variety in the middle overs, Salman said the team can adjust combinations according to conditions in Sri Lanka, where spin is expected to dominate.
“If conditions allow two or more spinners, we won’t hesitate,” he added. “We have four very different spin options. Our job is to field the best combination for Pakistan.”
Regarding Pakistan’s batting strength against big totals, Salman remained realistic. “In Sri Lanka, pitches rarely allow 200+ scores, but if needed, our players can both score and chase large totals. The team has shown this over the past months.”
Reflecting on Pakistan’s progress this year, the captain said the team has grown significantly since a slow start in January. Salman also spoke about his captaincy, admitting that he initially struggled to balance batting with leading the team, but now feels more settled and confident managing both roles.
